MISSION STATEMENT

The University of Sioux Falls, a Christian University in the liberal arts tradition, educates students in the humanities, sciences, and professions. The traditional motto of the University is Culture for Service, that is, we seek to foster academic excellence and the development of mature Christian persons for service to God and humankind in the world.

Through programs in the humanities, sciences and professions, the University helps persons grow intellectually, discern truth and develop a Christian worldview. As a Christian institution, USF fosters in all members of its community the development of emotional maturity, physical well-being, interpersonal skills and values which reflect the character and teaching of Christ.

USF is committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to the integration of biblical faith and learning; it affirms that Christians are called to share their faith with others through lives of service. The University is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., and welcomes students of any faith or denomination.

STATEMENTS OF INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSE

Environment

The environment of the University of Sioux Falls encourages all students to achieve their full potential. The faculty and staff of the University challenge and support students to grow academically and spiritually and to develop a commitment to responsible service.

Curriculum

The curriculum of the University of Sioux Falls provides undergraduate and graduate education that is based on the liberal arts, assists students in the development of a Christian worldview and helps them acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be responsible servant leaders in their chosen fields and communities.

Global Orientation

USF will equip students to be salt and light in the world—to be agents of God’s global work of renewal—by building their awareness of living in a diverse, but interdependent world and readying them for respectful, collaborative engagement across frontiers of ethnicity, economic status and religion to contribute to the well-being of human society.

Faculty

The faculty of the University of Sioux Falls are committed to its mission and to their vocation of teaching, advising and mentoring students. They enrich their teaching by scholarly participation in their fields of expertise and by their service to the church and the community.

Students

The students of the University of Sioux Falls are diverse with respect to age, experience, and religious tradition. They are challenged to develop a greater appreciation for other cultures, a more global perspective on current issues and a commitment to a life of service. The University welcomes all students who are serious about pursuing their educational goals in a Christian context.

VISION STATEMENT

The University of Sioux Falls will be a transformative university committed to academic excellence and celebration of the Christian faith.

ON THIS WE STAND - AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

The University of Sioux Falls affirms the historic Christian commitment to Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King. As the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth was God Incarnate, truly human and truly divine. As Prophet, he provided through his life and teachings the definitive revelation of God's nature and the normative model for all human life. As Priest, Jesus overcame through his death and resurrection the separation between humanity and God resulting from sin. As King, he reigns in resurrected glory over the restoration of God's peace and justice to the creation. We affirm the authority of the Bible as God's written Word. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given to God's people by the Holy Spirit through human witnesses. They find their focus in the revelation of Christ. Though they were written long ago, they speak to us and to the world in the present, calling us to peace with God and to reconciliation with one another.

As a Christian university, we are an academic community that seeks greater understanding in the light of our faith. Never content with our current knowledge of God or the creation, we search openly and actively for new insights -- in the humanities, the sciences, the professions -- by which to advance human understanding and to serve God more effectively in the world.